The New Year will indeed bring an enhanced fight over the national effort to provide quality affordable health care for all. It will, however be a battle with two sides; not a simple attack on the law by those on the right. Those that support the new measure will stand up and stage a vigorous and successful defensive of the new law. In addition there will be a bold proactive effort to expand the law to address the 23 million that are not covered, the concerns about the lack of a public option, the new barriers to a women's right to choose and the inadequacy of funding for some of the core measures of the law. In addition there will be efforts to strengthen the prevention and wellness measures of the bill. The legal challenges will also not be one sided with legal efforts in support of the new law.

As the election for 2012 heats up an "health care" enlightened public will begin to demand that their elected officials be held accountable for the poor health status of their communities. Elected officials that oppose health coverage for all will be asked to explain the hypocrisy of why they want to take away from the American people what they have for themselves.

Dewey ClaytonProfessor of Political Science, University of Louisville :

Here are my political predictions for 2011:

5. The Republican party will be torn apart as its tax-cutting-and-spending establishment butts heads with the tea partiers and their fealty to deficit reduction.

4. The Democratic party will be torn apart as President Obama attempts to implement deficit reduction as proposed by the Bowles/Simpson commission. It will be a bridge too far for the Democratic base, which will not allow the budget to be balanced on the backs of the middle class.

3. A new third party will emerge by the end of 2011 or early 2012 - NOT headed by Michael Bloomberg, whose larger political ambitions froze in his handling of the Great Snow of 2010.

2. Sarah Palin will NOT run for president, but will play king-maker and money-maker.

1. As the USA observes the 150 year anniversary of the Civil War, another may loom on the horizon. Unemployment remains high, talk of secession has become casual, discontent is chronic. Economic slavery and disenfranchisement may bring about new alliances to fight old powers within. To say nothing of China.

B. Fully a third of the Obama cabinet will resign “for family reasons”.

C. There will be wholesale announcements by senior Democratic members of both the House and Senate who will say they are not seeking re-election next time, recognizing the all but certain fact they will not be in power for at least four, six and even eight years.

D. The Washington Post, New York Times and MSNBC will systematically — and alphabetically, given the current trend — seek ways to try to destroy potential Republican presidential nominees. (See George Allen and Haley Barbour).

E. Speaker John Boehner and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell will become the most powerful political figures in Washington. Their toughest job will be not to overplay their hand.

F. The newly elected conservative members with their zeal for changing the way things are done will have a major impact on the way business is conducted in Congress and on the system in general. (K Street take note and beware.)

G. The Republicans will make hay over the fact the most notable faces of the Democratic Party today are President Obama, Sen. Harry Reid, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Gov. Jerry Brown.

H. The Republicans will dismiss the political clout of the street-fighting former speaker and now coach-flying Nancy Pelosi at their peril.

I.The Republicans in the House will attempt to repeal such as Obamacare and Dodd-Frank financial and other regulations only to discover that Senate Democrats can stop such attempts and the president will veto those bills anyway. Thus they will resort to blocking appropriations for the more egregious regulations that will be coming forward. (Beware EPA, Treasury, HHS, DHS and Interior Departments.)

J. Hearings and investigations will abound. (Justice Department you are high on the list.)

K. Confirmation hearings in the Senate will be so contentious the administration will have trouble filling vacancies, resorting to more and more absentee appointments.

The U.S. Department of Justice will strike down several GOP inspired redistricting plans as violations of the Voting Rights Act. This is the first time since the Act was passed in 1965 that Democrats have controlled the Justice Department in a redistricting year.

President Obama is going to use his State of the Union address to announce to the country that he is going to stand up to the deficit hawks and tell the country the truth.

He will explain that the large current deficits are completely the result of the economic downturn created by the collapse of the housing bubble. The problem is not profligate government spending but rather the incompetency of the Fed and Wall Street greed.

He will explain that the longer term problem is completely attributable to projections that per person health care costs will rise from being twice the average in other wealthy countries to 3 or 4 times the average.

This is unaffordable; but the answer is to fix the health care system, not to cut Social Security and Medicare. President Obama will then pledge to be an immovable defender of these essential and successful programs.

He would do this all with well-designed charts and graphs. He would announce that he was committing his economic and political team to a massive public education campaign that will be focused on educating the Washington press corp.

This campaign, "No Reporter Left Behind," will ensure that all the people who write on budget and economic issues for major news outlets had at least a basic knowledge of these topics, including the Washington Post editorial board.

The Republicans will sweep the three governors' races currently scheduled for 2011, but since all three (Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi) are southern or border states, this will not be seen to add momentum to the GOP nationally going into 2012.

The unemployment rate will remain broadly stalled, and President Obama's polls will remain stalled with it. That will keep it unclear whether Obama is a strong candidate for re-election. The fact that neither side can have high levels of confidence going into the 2012 presidential election will have serious consequences: both sides will - even more than usual - spend more time watching the polls and playing to symbolism than legislating seriously. The one partial exception is reform of health care reform, where the legislation is itself symbolically important to both liberals and conservatives.

1. The economy will rebound; unemployment will fall below 9%, GDP will be up significantly, and more importantly, polling on the economy will show that over 60% of the American people will be more optimistic about the economic recovery.

2. Following this bounce, President Obama's approval rating will finish the year in the high 50's if not 60's,effectively scaring off any primary challengers and making many Republicans consider pushing their ambitions to the 2016 campaign.

3. Sarah Palin will form an exploratory committee for President before the last quarter of 2011.

4. Sarah Palin's positives will fall below 40% and less than 20% of the American people would vote for her for president; undeterred, she will "refudiate" the pollsters and camp out in Des Moines because "Iowa in winter is like Alaska in summer."

Happy New Year one and all. My 2011 Predictions: beta testing themes for 2012; fighting over "Obama voters" starting in Chicago, reckoning for Afghanistan; underwater mortgages washing out local services; tea party rhetoric meeting beltway reality; happiness at the ballyard.

2011: beta testing for 2012. Both parties and their presidential candidates will beta test national 2012 themes and strategies in local 2011 races. Inflection points will be health care and student loan reforms, immigration, Afghanistan, and - most of all - jobs. Taking immigration, for example, only an internal Republican revolution will stop the GOP from hemorrhaging support among Latino and Asian voters. Expect heated immigration debates from local races to statewide son of SB1070 bills and 2012 signature gathering efforts that begin in 2011 to national votes on the DREAM Act and border security.

2011: fighting over Obama voters (starting in Chicago). The president and his opponents know that his reelection depends on how he holds his coalition, starting with the young voters who propelled him to victory in 2008 and gave Democrats a 17 percent edge in 2010. Democrats must give youth a reason to stay while Republicans will try to cajole them to stray or stay away. Youth don't vote in "off years" except when the issues cut close to the bone - and if young folks see few job prospects or see efforts to dump them off their parents health care (again) and charge them more for student loans, we'll see a ripple effect on their parents who will take out their anger at the polls. The first place this will play out is the Chicago mayor's race, where Rahm Emanuel is wooing Obama voters in the president's hometown.

2011: reckoning for Afghanistan. When a war is perceived as being "won" the public is more supportive of its original rationale than when it is going poorly. Polling indicates that opinion about how it is going is immutably affected by the fact that it is going badly. Many in both parties will call on Gen. David Petraeus to testify before Congress regarding the Karzai government, the prospects for peace, and whether we will be out "come hell or high water" by 2014.

2011: underwater mortgages washing out local services. Without aggressive assistance to protect consumers, millions of families will face losing their homes and more horror stories will emerge about banks engaging in fraudclosures. All homeowners will see little reason to vote for property tax increases to cover deficits in local governments, so the housing crisis will precipitate more cutbacks in even those basic essentials as police, fire, and 911 services. Washington will have a choice: regulate the banks to help consumers or tell the locals to blame their public employees.

2011: tea party rhetoric meeting Beltway reality. Tea party Republicans already broke two promises: their pledge to stop special interests (many already hired lobbyists as key staffers) and to stop backroom deals (they already cut the public out of their rule-making decisions). They will read the Constitution aloud then introduce bills to amend it. All will decry deficits; none will pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. After a springtime of subpoenas, tea party pressure will mount for impeachment summer.

2011: happiness at the ballyard. One last prediction - despite our good faith differences we will all enjoy happiness at the ballyard, where we can put aside our philosophical differences and enjoy America's pastime. I predict my beloved World Champion San Francisco Giants will win the 2011 World Series.

GOP presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney will launch his 2012 campaign with his first issue flip-flop, explaining that his support of the Massachusetts health plan that became Obamacare resulted from “a pre-existing condition” (whew, just in time to be covered under the new law).

A Justice Department investigation will conclude that Christine O’Donnell IS a witch.

Republicans plan to open the new session of Congress reading the Constitution aloud so Democrats will know what’s in it. Democrats will respond with a capitol “teach-in” for Republicans explaining the meaning of “compromise."

Sen. Jim DeMint claims Sarah Palin has done more for the GOP than any Republican since Ronald Reagan. Joe Biden will reply: “You betcha!”

According to a recent survey, there are three moderate Republicans in the new GOP House. Two will apply for the Witness Protection Program.

The Michael Bloomberg presidential exploratory committee will be lost in a snow bank in Queens.

1. If the economy continues to recover, and the unemployment rate finally falls (even a little bit), Obama's approval rating should break 50 (but not 55), and he should be a clear favorite for reelection. If not, then not.

2. High gas prices could be a surprise problem for Obama. Expect to hear more "drill, drill, drill" talk from Republicans.

3. Except for what is absolutely essential, don't expect to see much cooperation between Obama and the GOP in 2011. There's just not much overlap in what they want. Obama will shift to a strategy of using his executive powers to enact policy change. It worked for Bill Clinton!

4. If Mike Huckabee enters the GOP presidential race, he will receive more support than the press expects. Women like the Huck.

5. If Sarah Palin enters the GOP nomination race, she will receive less support than the press expects. Right now, she's the class clown of American politics; she gets lots of attention, but it's the wrong kind of attention.

6. Should Newt Gingrich enter the GOP presidential nomination race, he will be hobbled by an ex-wife who is more Donna Hanover than Jane Wyman.

7. Bobby Jindal will be near the top of the list of Republican VP possibilities.

8. Obama's attractive family life will provide a nice contrast to the chaos of the Palins. Remember that his personal numbers remain pretty strong.

9. Afghanistan can only hurt Obama at this point. Getting out soon may not be acceptable militarily, but it's the only attractive political option. Obama will try to highlight the American drawdown in Iraq, but no one will care. But we could see a "he brought the boys home" ad in '12. Ike did it in '56.

10. With the exception of Robert Gates's departure and some turnover at the White House, Obama's governing team will remain pretty unchanged.

11. Reporters will write inane "Obama doesn't connect" articles as long as his approval ratings remain below 50. If he breaks that barrier, they will write inane articles about his communications genius. The real factor: the economy.

12. The GOP's redistricting advantage is real but a bit overrated. Republicans will do more protecting of newly elected incumbents than creating of new friendly districts. Expect to see more change in previously Democratic-drawn states such as North Carolina, than in those with existing GOP maps: Pennsylvania, Ohio and Texas.

13. The end of the cultural wars is overrated. Expect to see more conflict on identity-based issues such as immigration and Islam. Plus the abortion issue isn't going anywhere.

14. We'll see more attention to the unprecedented generation gap in voting that appeared in 2006, 2008 and 2010. The battle between Democratic millenials and GOP seniors will join the familiar divides based on race, religion, gender and social class.

15. After the shellacking of 2010, there will be more Democratic outside groups created for the next presidential election. Even if Obama doesn't feel comfortable schmoozing with big donors, someone else will do that job for him - perhaps Bill Clinton.

There is no doubt that the political outcomes of 2011 will dictate the electoral map of 2012.

In an effort to woo the Hispanic vote and to get an early jump on President Obama in the battleground states of Florida, Nevada and New Mexico, Republicans take charge of the “Dream Act” and massage the legislation so that it is acceptable to the GOP base.

Facing a stagnant economy, rising energy costs, poll numbers hovering in the mid-40s and a shrinking electoral map, President Obama counters by dumping Vice President Biden late in 2011 in favor of someone with broader appeal like Virginia Sen. Mark Warner in an effort to win over independents in contested states like Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada and New Mexico.

Eyeing the possibility of the GOP retaking the White House, Jeb Bush throws his hat into the ring for Senate in early 2012 to help the GOP push back Obama in the Sunshine State.

While there may be no major elections in the coming year (GOP will sweep governors races in Louisiana, Mississippi and Kentucky), 2011 will be far from boring in its implications.

The politics of 2011 will be all about money, or rather the lack of it, in spite of a fledgling recovery:

1. Federal deficit projections for FY 2012-2016 will reach evermore terrifying heights with each quarterly 2011 update, yet Obama and Republicans will manage only a symbolic budget-cutting deal late in the year before tossing it aside for the presidential campaign. As a consequence, a frustrated tea party movement will broaden by 2012 and exceed its 2010 impact.

2. State and local government fiscal woes will head to Washington in 2011, as public employee pensions and health care become national political topics. Democrats and the White House will try to find dozens of new ways to hand out money, but House Republicans will succeed in passing legislation and/or resolutions blocking the federal government from assuming any long-term state and local liabilities.

3. Budget woes at all levels of government will make green eye shades the hot political fashion accessory of 2011, powering Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels's presidential ambitions to a level well beyond his mild-mannered persona. Even with an accelerating recovery in 2012, America may yet replace The Great Articulator with a cheerful accountant.

The Supreme Court will strike down Arizona's program of tax funded elections.

Federal bailouts of cities and states will be the political issue of the year. They will be bailed out.

Redistricting is the over-hyped issue of the year.

Unemployment stays above 9 percent.

The Democratic House minority, shorn of most of its moderates, becomes more stridently liberal and effectively writes itself out of the policy-making equation. It's not the president who triangulates - rather, the Senate triangulates between the House majority and the president.

Harry Reid will vote against something he was supposed to vote for; Mitch McConnell will smile about this; nobody will be able to tell.

Barack Obama will set a new world record for number of words uttered publicly by a president; Barack Obama will set a new world record for number of words uttered privately by a president; Bill Clinton will dispute the award.

Birthers will seize on a misplaced comma when Obama's Hawaiian birth certificate is released; the Russian government will that charge WikiLeaks is an American plot.

Newt Gingrich will pick a fight with Muslims, socialists, and the left; Sara Palin will announce her presidential candidacy, then quit; Andrew Sullivan will peddle an epic conspiracy about this.

Mitt Romney will ship the entire state of Utah to CPAC to win the presidential straw poll; the Mormon-on-Ron-Paul-supporter violence will make Kent State look tame; Rand Paul will challenge Romney to a duel; Ron Paul will use the massacre to call for an end to the Fed; Illinois will start printing its own currency.

Barbara Boxer's hearings on global warming legislation will be disrupted by a blizzard; a McCain hand will have smelling salts at the ready whenever generals testify; Meghan McCain will cry, publicly.

The economic recovery will continue to be a challenge at all levels of government and in the private sector, especially if foreign markets continue to pose serious problems.

State and local governments will lead the way in demonstrating that required cuts can promote more efficient service delivery to the voters.

President Obama will lead the effort to restore civility to politics and government extending an olive branch to Republicans. Republicans will tilt more rightward as conservatives are emboldened by recent electoral success.

President Obama, moving more to the center, will not be opposed within the Democratic Party.

My political prediction is that Mike Huckabee will emerge as the frontrunner in the Republican primaries for president. Huckabee is conservative, great on television, a formidable debater, and – most important of all – he knows how to relate to ordinary Americans better than any of his other likely opponents. Huckabee would rally the parties conservative base and so long as he stays firm on health care repeal and tax and spending cuts, he will also get the economic conservatives who are now terrified by President Obama.

I bet Mike Huckabee will be the next president of the United States, and the thought of that makes me quite happy!

Beware other entrants: Having predicted the Democrats would hold onto the House, I am changing my methodology to predicting what I truly think will happen instead of what would make me look like a predicting genius if it actually did happen. With that in mind, here are my top 10:

1. Sarah Palin declares her candidacy and immediately forges into the lead for the GOP nomination, but remains so far below 50 percent that few Republican foes are disheartened.

2. Unemployment falls to just under 8 percent at year's end.

3. Obama approval rating tops 50 percent for first time in more than a year.

4. The U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear case challenging Obamacare on which there is split in the courts below.

5. U.S. delays start of pullback from Afghanistan amid signs of surprising progress.

6. Supreme Court vacancy gives Obama chance to appoint third justice to bench. But like the other two, this vacancy came about through resignation of a liberal justice, giving the White House no critical new backing.

7. Russia and China agree to tougher sanctions for Iran, but both declare their opposition to military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.

8. Isabel Wilkerson wins Pulitzer Prize in non-fiction for "The Warmth of Other Suns," the narrative account of black migration to the North.

9. As Palestinian quest for international recognition as a state gains momentum, Netanyahu engineers settlement freeze and talks with the Palestinians resume.

10. After a year in which Derek Jeter tears an elbow ligament trying to emulate his spectacular backhand flip in the 2001 playoffs; Jorge Posada is caught taking performance-enhancing drugs (for the bedroom) and Mariano Rivera announces he has established a trust fund to administer his Social Security checks, Yankee President Brian Cashman announces the Yankees intend to compete more aggressively in next year's free agent draft. This after the Yankees finished third in their division, behind Boston and Toronto.

1. The outcome from divided party control in Washington will be about in the middle between gridlock and significant legislative achievements. There will be many areas of gridlock but some important successes.

2. While the battle over the budget will be long and difficult, the parties will avoid a government shutdown.

1. Barack Obama's political comeback will continue, and he will place himself in position to get himself re-elected. However, his gains may not necessarily come at the expense of a Republican House, or even a future Republican Senate.

2. North Korea, and Iran will continue to pose problems for the international community.

3. Don't be surprised if Ruth Bader Ginsburg retires.

4. Financial crises in Portugal, Spain, and Italy will come to a head (this is an utterly non-surprising prediction).

5. About this time next year, we will look back on the controversy surrounding the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and wonder what all of the fuss was about.

1. Sarah Palin will not run for the GOP presidential nomination. She will instead endorse a candidate, who will then eventually go on to win the nomination.

2. President Barack Obama, still refusing to stand for justice, will continue to oppose same-sex marriage.

3. The health care law will be declared unconstitutional in the federal appellate court, just as it was in the federal trial court. This will set up a final showdown in the United States Supreme Court, perhaps as early as 2012.

4. Largely on the strength of the recent tax cut, unemployment will drop to 8 percent by December. That unemployment rate will still be the highest before the economic downturn since 1992.

5. In Massachusetts, Vicki Kennedy will announce her intention not to run against incumbent Senator Scott Brown, even though she would very likely defeat him soundly at the polls.

If I am right on just one of my five predictions, that's a better batting average than the great prognosticator of human history, Nostradamus, who was right on only 6 percent of his predictions.

2011 is the beginning of the end of identity politics. According to end of the year findings by Rasmussen Reports, Republicans run even with Democrats among women.

In the coming year, the GOP is going to be faced with the interesting challenge of holding onto female voters without playing gender politics. Democrats lost the female vote this year by trying to court women through “women’s issues” like gender discrimination laws.

2011 is going to be the year in which lawmakers have to appeal to women through ideas, values and programs that speak to all Americans (i.e. the economy) rather than through pandering and legislative loot.

Republicans are armed with a new battalion of women lawmakers and leaders at both the national and state level who can reach out to women voters not through domestic violence or birth control policies, but on the principles of limited government, individual rights, constitutional freedom, and a vigorous economy.

Reversing – or at least slowing – the game of gender politics will be a defining feature of the Republican politics of 2011.

I predict high gas and energy prices will become a major political issue facing the White House and Congress in 2011. Unlike past presidents who have had to weather fluctuating gas prices despite their attempts to lower them, President Obama’s administration is the first to actually want fossil fuels prices to rise so that consumers choose equally more expensive alternatives, as part of a broader global warming agenda.

His Energy secretary, Steven Chu, said in September 2008: “Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe.” Just last week, the EPA announced it will begin regulating power plants and oil refineries in an attempt to curb global warming. The new regulations will make it more expensive to turn fossil fuels into energy. And Secretary Salazar has announced the Bureau of Land Management would issue new rules making it harder to develop natural resources on government land, which will drive up the cost of electricity and gasoline, and make us even more dependent on foreign sources of energy.

But on top of all of that, President Obama has had a reckless position on domestic oil drilling. His moratorium during the bungled oil spill response was shot down by two federal courts yet he persisted in expanding it. Last week, he effectively banned drilling in previously acceptable areas offshore, including the eastern Gulf, Atlantic and Pacific coasts. We’re not even talking about ANWR anymore. This also makes us more dependent on OPEC who has repeatedly asserted that prices will be going up in the near future.

This all spells disaster for the already fragile jobs market and for those families struggling in this economy. Higher energy costs translate into less hiring. Energy producers are investing in any area, except the United States, bringing jobs and billions in investment to foreign competitors, who will eventually sell us their energy. Families will struggle to heat their homes and fill their cars up, and buying a new $40,000+ Chevy Volt won’t be an option for them.

President Obama said during the campaign that his policy plans would cause energy prices to “skyrocket”. His prediction is already coming true. In 2011, we’ll see the White House have to defend their policies which are causing American families and businesses to pay more for energy. He has yet to have his energy policies seriously called into question by the mainstream press. That is about to change.

Ken FeltmanChairman Radnor Inc.; Past president of the International Association of Political Consultants :

I predict that this year's most talked about Republican presidential hopefuls will not be among the leaders for the nomination at the end of 2011. Before Iowa begins to cut down the field in early 2012, candidates will begin to drop out. Those who are running quixotic campaigns to promote their ideology will hang on. Those running to get the nomination will not be able to afford the ballooning expense. Coupled with unhappiness with the Citizens United case, this will cause more discussion in liberal circles of the need for public financing.

South Dakota Sen. John Thune will surprise people, as will former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

If President Obama does not recoup his job approval ratings, Secretary of State Clinton will be pressured by Democratic leaders and fundraisers to enter the race. With the exception of organized labor, Obama has never established strong ties to the party leaders. The Democratic leaders will tell Clinton that she has a duty to prevent a Republican victory in 2012. They will try to sell the switch at the top of the ticket by reminding core Democrats that they elected the first black president in 2008 and can now elect the first woman in 2012.

Obama will turn back the challenge throughout 2011 but will face more tests in 2012.

The economy will bounce back, but unevenly as the rich get richer, and there will be a falling out with the current White House economic team. Obama’s personal popularity will remain steady and bolster his political standing, while birthers and other fringe groups lose the public’s interest. Tea party supporters, independents and progressives will find surprisingly common ground on more than a few issues and continue to argue about the others.

Meanwhile a bigger falling out will occur between the tea party and the people they elected. Scott Brown and Olympia Snowe will weather that storm and remain popular with their constituency as they are threatened with primaries. John Boehner will have headaches actually attempting to govern that reading the Constitution out loud (a wonderful document, highly recommended) won’t assuage, as he learns that the power of the House majority falls short of their promises.

Sarah Palin will continue to poll poorly, and doubts about Mitt Romney from all angles (driven by memories of Romneycare and his actual record as Massachusetts Governor) will pit his GOP establishment supporters against the hearts-and-minds frontrunner, Mike Huckabee, who will look and act like – and be - the frontrunner.

Social Security will be the #2 political issue of the year (jobs/economy are #1) and divide Democrats, while the deficit will fade in importance even below the meager interest the public has in it now. And as the 2012 primaries approach, we will hear far too much about New Hampshire and Iowa and not enough about the rest of the country (that, of course, is the safest prediction of all.)

Europe will have a horrible 2011, as the eurozone crisis will deepen. A key question that will determine how bad things get in Europe is whether Spain follows the Irish error of guaranteeing the debts of its failed banks (at the behest of Germany and other countries, trying to protect their own banks, who are heavily exposed to those debts). If Spain follows Ireland's error, things will go much worse for the eurozone. Europe's problems will contribute to a growth slowdown that is already happening in China, and likely also in Brazil and India.

The recovery in the U.S. will be stronger than the median forecast indicates, due to the tax compromise and the reduction of fiscal uncertainty. But unemployment will remain stubbornly high (above 8.5% at the end of 2011). And U.S. growth could be muted if the eurozone creates a new collapse of financial markets, which is not a far-fetched possibility. Here's how to trade in this environment: buy a broad US stock index, sell a broad European one.

On the political front, the key question is whether Republicans will use their new political muscle wisely. I think that they will, focusing on constructive measures for realistic fiscal reform, and fixing some of the worst problems created by Obamacare and Dodd-Frank. If they do, going into the election year, Republicans will have even more momentum than they do now. If instead Republicans feel their oats too much, and spend their time fighting other battles, or engage less constructively in attempts to repeal legislation that the president supports, they could squander their opportunity for a transformational election year in 2012.

George Tally (guest)
WA:

The progressive caucus will grow by year's end, perhaps even forming tea-type quasi parties. The question is whether Dems will 1) (very) tacitly promote this (the Republican Party's way); 2) it occurs as a real schism (the way the tea parties view their movement); 3) or Dems manage to prevent growth on both tracks (the Democratic Party's way).

Jeffrey L Minch (guest)
TX:

The economy fails to respond --- "real" unemployment --- high school and college grads, folks who have run through their benefits, underemployed part timers --- hits 20 percent! The administration is clueless as it pertains to job creation in America. They just don't have the experience. The president plays 66 rounds of golf in 2011 and is still a hacker. John Boehner loses his tan and is a great speaker.

Tom Genin (guest)
CT:

The extention of the Bush tax cuts help the middle class and no matter how hard Obama tries, he gets no credit for something he's been against his whole political career. Gas will hit $5 a barrel by late 2011, or early 2012, which will have worse effects than the Mayan prophecy, and everybody knows who's been making energy costs higher in every way. Cap-and-tax, anti-coal, anti-drilling, anti-SUV. Real life and Obama policies collide.

Mike Gorman (guest)
OH:

Well, I am not as smart and worldly as Greg Dworkin but I will give it a shot as I sit here enjoying my favorite adult beverage. As a small business owner I see the economy behave much like it did in 2010. I see Obama continuing his liberal dream by skirting Congress and doing more through executive orders.

Chris Sells (guest)
AL:

Everyone will keep their eyes glued on national debt and who will challenge Obama. However the real story of state and local budget demise will go unnoticed or very little attention. Several cities and states are on or at the brink of bankruptcy so where do they go? I read where NYC has already used many of its 2011 emergency funds in this 2010 season. What happens next?

Chris Myers (guest)
MO:

Newly-elected Republicans will continue with their strong rhetoric, but will fail to accomplish the majority of their goals. We will see a repeat of the failure of the Gingrich Revolution of '94. Minimal GOP gains in 2011 will be reversed in 2012 and Democrats will regain the ascendancy in both houses. Interestingly enough, in 2012 Sarah Palin will be propelled to the White House by angry tea partiers who will see in her their last, best hope.

Art Harman (guest)
VA:

Michele Bachmann rises in popularity -- the dark horse candidate for president? A few Dems will quietly prepare for a challenge to Obama, should he continue falling in the polls. The House repeals Obamacare, the Senate may follow; Obama outrages a majority of Americans by vetoing it. Foreign policy weakness threatens Obama as much as the economy, as possible war and atomic tests by North Korea and Iran prove weakness never deters dictators.

J.E. Bernecky (guest)
PA:

Dick Durbin will not swallow his pretentions when he takes those tax cuts for the rich.

Ginny Renner (guest)
KY:

The new Congress will prove very effective, which will fluster and frustrate President Obama. He will see his agenda and support begin to fail. International issues will further complicate his presidency. There will be a gradual improvement in the economy and jobs, but the republicans will be successful in attributing that to their leadership. Mike Pence will become the leading Republican presidential contender, The ticket will be Pence/Palin.

William Petty (guest)
OH:

My prediction: The catastrophic blizzard of the East Coast will leave politcal ramifications for decades to come. Politicians who did not waste their time and resources by physically shovelling snow in the streets of their cities and states will perish from political relevance. Those politicians who used snow-blowers rather than the pyhsical manpower of shovels will also suffer at the polls.

sommers sommerer (guest)
OR:

Obama will continue his ideological agenda toward statism, while verbally attempting to appear centrist. The economy will continue on a downward spiral and municipal bonds will start to crash. Obama will attempt to bail out the states and union pensions putting Republicans on the defensive as being against the people. The dollar will weaken further as nations try to get out. The battle grand will be between the unions, lead by public employees.

Dick Fox (guest)
TX:

President Obama will continue to blame President Bush for the country's economic problems and will add Speaker Boehmer to his list of villains. He will continue to denigrate Republicans, greedy business leaders and wicked millionaires and billionaires for their inhumane treatment of the "middle class" as he continues with his program of class warfare. The liberal media will continue in their role of Obama lap dog.

Jedd Hampton (guest)
CA:

Contrary to popular belief, the unemployment rate will not drop lower than 8.5%. Extending unemployment benefits will effect the joblessness rate far more than one might think. If an individual collects $500 a week in unemployment benefits then why would he take any job paying less? Also, keep in mind that businesses that have survived this Great Recession have learned how to maintain output with fewer resources. New Normal = 9% unemployment.

Jean McCollister (guest)
IA:

Tens of thousands of human lives will end unnecessarily and prematurely due to the continuing failure of the U.S. to provide decent health care to its domestic population. Many more thousands will die tragically as a result of America's ongoing violence against foreign populations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Pakistan, etc. Further erosion of civil liberties and the establishment of a national security state.

Jason Brown (guest)
WV:

President Obama and the Republican Congress may find some common ground on deficit reduction ideas, but will agree to nothing substantial like cuts in defense or social security. Republicans will likely ramp up investigations of the Obama administration. The unemployement rate will fall under 9 percent and Obama will seem stronger coming into 2012. Look out for a potential Marc Rubio run for the presidency if the economy remains weak.

Colin Trevorrow (guest)
VT:

The economy will continue to rebound. Republicans will claim this is due to the "tax cut" enacted late in 2010, which they will know to be untrue. The wealthy will not spend this money, rather they will keep it in cash while encouraging poorer conservatives to buy gold via Goldline. Glenn Beck will be revealed as a huckster and charlatan for his multi-year campaign encouraging listeners to buy gold via Goldline. Jesus will not return. Again.

Lorenzo Davenport (guest)
GA:

The GOP will carefully craft their message with an eye towards the independents who pushed them back in power. They will be "in" for a good while. As people scrutinize the Dems pet "successes" like the health care reform bill, they will be even angrier, realizing more costs, less service and poorer quality all around. Seniors will be the most upset. There will be better than a 50/50 chance parts of the bill being declared unconstitutional.

May Reddle (guest)
IA:

My Predictions for 2011: People to jump into the 2012 presidential race will include: Tim Pawlenty, Rick Santorum, Haley Barbour, Herman Cain, John Thune, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, and Mitt Romney and Gary Johnson. Shocker: Sarah Palin will not run, but endorse Herman Cain or Gary Johnson. Mike Huckabee becomes the front-runner going into 2012. President Obama will move toward the middle under a split Congress, and look stronger in the polls.

Art Harman (guest)
VA:

Don't underestimate John Bolton. Whether or not he runs for president, he articulates a strong foreign policy - a subject most others ignore as they focus on the economy; and his influence may be felt throughout the presidential campaign. Our nation's greatest challenges in this decade may center around foreign policy and defense.

Stephen Howell (guest)
AR:

Obama will govern from the center, health care will get reformed so it will pass muster of the Supreme Court, unemployment will go down, the stock market will take a beating but come back, Republicans won't make the same mistakes of 1992, America will become more conservative, Olbermann will be fired, Congress will make inroads on solving the deficit problem, and finally 2011 will be a better year for Americans than 2010.

Craig Vale (guest)
FL:

The Republicans are already kicking and screaming about these recess appointments. "Not fair, unwise", and blah, blah, blah. How soon they forget having perhaps the most controversial appointment in the history of the nation when Bush put John Bolton at the UN. The Republicans have held up a record number of nominees and had the poorest record of affirming these folks in the history of the Congress. Few legitimate gripes with the choices.

Stan Brody (guest)
CA:

There can be no recovery or actual net employment improvement until the real estate crisis is properly addressed. Lost real estate tax revenues into the tens of billions, will leave the states and local governments no option but to lay-off staff and curtail services, negating any increases in the private sector. At this pace, real estate, and the economy will not truly recover much before 2022, or see muni bond defaults.

Fred MacDonald (guest)
ND:

The economy will gradually improve but Obama will receive little credit in the polls because it will be seen as the product of more conservative policies. Those happy with the direction will call for more conservatives in 2012. Liberals will be further disillusioned and disheartened. As a result Hillary Clinton will resign by the end of the year to replace Biden as VP or oppose Obama. Republicans begin to coalesce around a Huckabee/Jindal ticket.

bill janes (guest)
WA:

Obama’s: 1. Shifted private debt to the public 2. Watched private sector profits reach unprecedented levels 3. Showered the health insurance industry with billions 4. Raised defense 6% 5. Watched Wall Street "borrow" $1 to buy a bond we will pay them $2 interest on 6. Allowed the financial industry to "borrow" at 1%, to charge us 4%, 12%, 18% or more. What’s left to have a great year? Oh, I know – Raise taxes on the middle class!

Carmelo Junior (guest)
TX:

Obama's poll numbers will stay below 50% as unemployment hits 11% by December. Sarah Palin announces her candidacy for U.S. president making headlines around the world and sending the political establishment and pundits to scary land. Obama will play a lot of golf and go on vacation to Bahamas. Palin will travel abroad(possibly UK, Israel, Honduras or other Latin country). Michelle Obama will prosecute fried potatoes eaters and fast food.

Bruce Schwartz (guest)
CA:

To people saying there isn't enough gold to support a gold standard: there is no optimal amount of gold (or any form of money) that is required by the economy. The only thing that the amount of money does is set prices. With twice the gold, items would cost twice a much by weight of gold. Introducing more money into an economy does not add to the net wealth.

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